Real estate can be a great way to make money as an investor. Not only do real estate investments have the potential to produce excellent long-term results but also tax advantages, and they can add diversification to your overall investment strategy. Real estate has set millions of people on the path to financial freedom and could do the same for you.
However, there are several ways you could choose to invest in real estate.
Investment Properties (rental real estate)
The most obvious way to make money in real estate is to buy an investment property (or several). You could buy a home and rent it out to long-term tenants or purchase a multi-unit rental property or small apartment building. You could look into buying a vacation rental or a property you intend to otherwise rent short term. Or you could buy a commercial property (any type of property that is not residential real estate), such as a retail or office building, and lease it to tenants to generate rental income.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
A real estate investment trust, or REIT is a special type of company designed to invest in real estate as
sets. Think of a REIT as sort of a mutual fund for real estate investment: Investors’ money is pooled to buy a portfolio of commercial properties or other real estate assets. Many REITs are traded on the stock market and are very easy to buy and sell, making them excellent choices for beginner investors and those with limited capital to invest. And, many pay consistent dividends, making them good options for investors who want steady income.
Fix -And-Flip
This potentially lucrative form of real estate investing essentially involves taking a rundown residential property, completing repairs and/or renovations on it, and then selling it at a profit. While the popular fix-and-flip shows make it look easy, flipping houses successfully requires a lot of effort and knowledge of your local real estate market.
Wholesaling
A real estate wholesaler serves as a middleman between motivated home sellers and real estate investors. A wholesaler finds cheap property investment opportunities (if you’ve ever seen those “we buy ugly houses” signs, those are typically put there by wholesalers). The wholesaler will enter into a contract to buy the property but then find a real estate investor who is willing to pay a bit more, the difference being the wholesaler’s profit margin.
Written by Matthew Frankel
Culled from: https://www.fool.com